Dog owners from Leura Oval's off-leash park are celebrating the replacement of plastic poo bags with eco-friendly compostable plant-based bags.
Lesley Harrowsmith, (dog owner of Maggie the dalmatian and Gus the pug), said members of the park approached Blue Mountains City Council with samples of compostable bags several months ago requesting a change to the environmentally friendly option.
"We were very happy when a dog waste bag dispenser was installed at the park in 2018," Mrs Harrowsmith said. "A few of the more regular visitors to the park "adopted" the dispenser to monitor the bag supply, but when we realised the bags were degradable we were concerned about the amount of plastic pollution."
The new eco-friendly bags, made from corn and Australian certified compostable, will be rolled out to all off-leash parks across the Mountains, a council spokeswoman said.
"Our open space and recreation team recently changed to the compostable bags having received feedback from a number of off-leash groups who were keen for a more sustainable waste bag," the spokeswoman added.
There are more than 20,000 registered dogs in the Mountains.
Mrs Harrowsmith said it was a win for the environment and responsible dog owners.
"Off-leash parks are an important part of our Mountains community, providing safe areas for exercise and social interaction for dogs and their humans. We look forward to further fostering good relationships between dog owners and council."
Council is also looking to install more water refill stations, dog training materials, exercise equipment and safety improvements, for example - fencing and educational signage at Blue Mountains dog off-leash sites.
